Sipping the taste of Chiang Dao with Pailin—Pitchayapak Wongsasuk and Day Drinkers Collective, aging life with the joys surrounded by nature.
Chiang Dao is a small town in the mountains of Chiang Mai, often mentioned by nature lovers and a popular stop for both Thai and international travelers. It's also the hometown that holds many of my childhood memories.
A few months ago, I had the chance to go back and create new memories there. But this time, instead of staying at home like I usually do, I decided to spend some time in the backyard of Day Drinkers Collective. We had a chat about the little things in life and the connection to nature with Pailin—Pitchayapak Wongsasuk, the mastermind behind Day Drinkers Collective’s honey wine, which has been described as ‘Chiang Dao in a bottle.’
As someone from Chiang Dao, I can tell you that this description isn’t an exaggeration. Besides the famous Doi Luang and the Ka-Moo (stewed pork leg), two other things I love most about Chiang Dao are its flowers (next time you're there, drive slowly, roll down your window, and take a moment to appreciate the tiny flowers along the roadsides) and the longan orchards scattered across the villages. Taking a sip of Day Drinkers Collective’s wine brought back memories of Doi Luang, the roads, the flowers, the grass, and most importantly, the people of Chiang Dao.
We slowly sipped on ‘Chiang Dao’ in Pailin’s little yard, setting up our folding chairs just right to enjoy the view of Doi Luang. As the sky shifted hues and the sun began to set, the warmth of the bonfire brought together Pailin, fellow Chiang Dao locals, and me. With wine in hand, music in the background, and simple yet meaningful moments, the night unfolded, carrying the essence of Chiang Dao in every glass and every conversation.
Do you often sip wine casually at home?
“I’m really into wine because I enjoy sharing it. A bottle of wine is something we can all share. Since we're drinking the same thing, in the same environment, it naturally leads to the same conversation. That's why I really enjoy drinking wine.
“When I started making my first batch, I invited everyone to drink together on my porch. And when COVID hit and we couldn’t go out, I’d just drink, chat with friends, and watch the sunset. It was really enjoyable. It felt so fulfilling. There was shared conversation, sharing moments in general, and with everything else here, it became a really great moment.”
Is this where the word ‘Collective’ in the brand name comes from?
“The idea of ‘Collective’ isn’t just about this one specific product. There are other things we want to do, but we don’t know exactly what yet. But I feel like it’s about a group, it’s about a community, it’s about friends. That’s why it became Day Drinkers Collective. In the future, we might have other products, making it even more fun.”
Why ‘Day Drinkers’?
“I have this rule that I can only drink after 5 PM or before 11 AM. In general, if I drink too much, it’ll continue until midnight or 1 AM, and the next day, I'll be useless with a hangover. But if I start drinking in the afternoon, by the evening I'll already be tipsy, and by 8 PM, I'll be in bed. Then I wake up feeling fresh. I want to enjoy the moment. It’s not that we have to drink all day. Drinking, for me, is about enjoying time with friends. Time isn’t a factor for us. In Italy, they have Aperitivo, where they drink in the afternoon. So why can’t we have that too?”
What made you start your own brand?
“I've always had a regular job, and before I quit, it was during COVID. That was when I really spent time in Chiang Dao. There was something about it that really intrigued me. Before quitting my job, I had the idea of working with local products and selling them online, though I wasn’t exactly sure what that would be. I wanted to stay in one place for a bit, but I didn’t know anything much back then. Then I got really into fermentation, making ginger beer, and creating products with living organisms. During COVID, everyone was finding something to do.
“Then a friend asked me if I knew what mead was. I didn’t know what it was. My friend told me it’s a product made from honey, and I still didn’t get it. But I decided to give it a try. Later, I had the chance to go to San Francisco, and William (Pailin’s partner) took me to a meadery. That’s when I understood. It’s more than just honey. You can actually control the product and shape it into whatever you want. That was the first time I understood that mead could open up many possibilities.
“At first, it was funny. I had the idea of making a non-alcoholic product, but when I went to the States, we tried some non-alcoholic drinks in the park, just the two of us. Then we looked at each other like, ‘How do you feel about this?’ And William said, ‘What are we supposed to feel? It’s non-alcoholic.’ I was like, ‘Oh, yeah.’”
Do you still need alcoholic drinks in your life?
“Actually, I’m not really into kombucha or anything gassy.”
How did you go from enjoying wine to making mead?
“After returning from that trip, I realized how much more you can do with honey. I don’t really drink beer or anything light or full of carbonation (the process that makes beer fizzy). But when I started working with mead, it felt like I was creating life. It’s completely up to you. You decide what direction you want to take it. If you want it to go left, you have to do this. If you want it to go right, you have to do that. If I want it to be more bitter or funkier, I need to figure out how to make that happen. It’s like a puzzle that keeps me thinking and experimenting.
“There are challenges every day. Why is this batch not fermenting? What caused it? So, I reach out to people who know more about it. You just have to keep trying. Once you master one step, the next one comes naturally.”
Do you think that good conversation is the most important part of drinking?
“I feel that sharing a drink creates the same conversation, but the other thing that amazes me is fermentation. Fermentation is about creating life. It's like creating another world. When you see it come to life, it becomes its own world. It just lives its life, like we do.
“Actually, there are other forms of life, not just humans, not just animals. Other organisms are also intelligent, active, and full of life.”
Can you elaborate on what you mean by ‘creating life’ through fermentation?
“Personally, I think honey is a product that already exists, but it hasn’t been fully developed. Most of the honey we get is a by-product of beekeepers placing hives in certain areas for pollination. But in reality, honey can become so much more.
“If we focus on developing the quality and character of honey, I believe it has great potential. We’re lucky that our country has agricultural land, farms, and many resources. If we have the opportunity to develop honey further, there’s a lot of interesting potential right here.
“Bees are also deeply connected to the natural cycle. If we develop this product, it would also have a positive impact on nature. For example, the Wild Flower flavor comes from placing beehives near the edge of the forest, far from human activity. The bees pollinate there, creating new life in that area.”
Did you know all this before making mead?
“I googled it! Where else would I know it? (laughs) I think when we’re curious, we usually turn to Google. I made a lot of mistakes, which is normal. The real question is, once we get the final product, which direction do we want to take it? With honey, it’s no different from grapes or coffee.
“We have to see how it tastes at the beginning and then figure out where it will end up. Because each batch takes a long time to ferment, it can be a huge waste of time if we don’t know where the final result is going. So, yeah, we need to try and make mistakes.”
Do you have to taste a lot of honey?
“Yes, A LOT. It could make my blood sugar spike! The thing is, we’re working with natural products, and controlling them is really tough. Every time we buy honey, we have to taste it and see if we like its character. We need to estimate what the end product will be like. Our product is simple. It’s classic. Since we make still wine or honey wine, when you taste it, the character immediately shows what kind of honey it is. If it’s swinging, you’ll notice, but that’s normal because it’s a natural product.
“If one type of tree flowers more than the others, the character of the honey will be different. But with certain flowers, like lychee or longan, the flavor tends to be more stable because there's a consistent amount of pollen from those flowers. Wildflower honey is a different story. It depends on the season because certain flowers bloom only at specific times of the year. For example, when it rains, the wildflower honey will have a different character. By the end of the year, it might be a little more bitter because it’s from a flower with that character. Wildflower honey tends to swing the most.”
If honey relies on the natural cycle, what does it take to produce a bottle of honey wine?
“We handle everything ourselves. Our scale isn’t huge since we’re still in the early stages. Our routine isn’t fixed, but if it’s the day to start the fermentation process, we prepare as soon as we wake up. The preparation typically takes two days. If we have a large batch with a higher quantity, we may need to do 14-15 batches to pour into the fermentation tank.
“After that, we need to monitor the process throughout the week to ensure the fermentation is healthy. The routine tends to be weekly. If it’s fermentation week, we’ll be super busy. We have to prepare, check the honey stock, and make sure everything is ready. Once we start the fermentation, we need to ensure it’s healthy and fermenting properly. After that, it’s up to the microbes in the tank to do their job.
“Once the fermentation is complete, the following week involves clearing the racking and transferring the liquid to other containers. Sometimes, this can take months. Another task is bottling, which is the second busiest process after brewing day. The rest of the time, I’m just answering messages or doing admin tasks.”
Why natural wine, and how is it different from regular wine?
“We like the concept of natural wine because it doesn’t limit us to one specific direction. You don’t have to be this or that. You can like anything. I think that’s really interesting.
“There are many natural wines available on the market, but we haven’t seen anything truly local, coming from Thailand. With what we’re doing, we’re not using machines. We focus more on the techniques and natural processes. We’re using methods that we believe are the most classic, such as finishing the first fermentation in the bottle. For us, that’s the fun part.
“In terms of the concept, we feel that the palate of people who drink natural wine tends to be more flexible. It’s not about saying red wine has to taste like this or have only this character. Not every bottle of natural wine is my favorite, but there are people who are willing to explore.
“Natural wine is low-intervention. People who enjoy it appreciate the concept, much like how you might choose to eat organic or healthy food. It’s not always the most delicious option, but it’s the concept behind it that matters. What’s interesting about natural wine is that it opens up people’s palates. It’s not limited to just my own. It might appeal to a newer generation that doesn’t believe you have to eat or drink a certain way. They drink it because they enjoy it and like it more.”
How did you end up with the five flavors: Wildflower, Longan, Lychee, Rosedelic, and Pet Nat?
“It’s really interesting. For the honey we work with, we don’t try to emphasize its character too much, or maybe we use co-fermentation (fermenting two types of honey together to create the wine). The honey’s character is so clear that we felt no one else was highlighting this.
“Everyone knows honey, but no one realizes that each flower has its own unique character. The taste of each honey varies greatly. When it’s turned into a drink, it really brings out those flavors. For wildflower honey, we’ve created four classic flavors, with one being a co-fermentation, which is Rosedelic. It’s made with organic Roselle flowers. We used that technique to experiment. Then there’s the Pet Nat, which comes from natural mineral water. That’s how it is, when it’s being carbonated.
“The five flavors we’ve created are meant to represent the local area. We don’t want to interfere too much with their natural taste, so we try to preserve the original essence of each type of honey. There might be some additional elements mixed in, but we aim to maintain the character of the flower itself.”
What did you learn from Day Drinkers Collective?
“Drinking is fun. Whether it’s fun or not, I feel it has brought us to meet so many people. I’ve met people I never expected to meet. I’ve also had the chance to represent our local culture.
“I just went to Singapore recently, and I told them that everything in the bottle: the water, the honey, the air, and even the yeast, comes from my home, from Chiang Dao. It’s like we’ve put everything from Chiang Dao into this bottle, and now you’re drinking it.
“When we talk about places like Chiang Dao, Chiang Mai, and Chiang Rai, we can imagine the sights and hear the sounds. But tasting the essence of the place is not easy. If we do it through food, sure, that works, but the flavor changes once we move to another place. What if it’s in a bottle on the table? That’s even more impressive. And it’s amazing that people like it and support it. If we hadn’t done this, we wouldn’t have had the chance to say that this product comes from Chiang Dao. The water comes from my home. We use natural yeast, and the air and honey are local too.
“I was so happy that day. It was such a wow moment. It's not just looking at a photo or hearing a story about a place, now you can actually drink it. It’s a different way to appreciate it.”
What makes you happy these days?
“I’ve started finding happiness in small things. Before, happiness was about getting a job, making money, and so on. Sometimes, we have so many testing bottles. We usually set aside a few bottles from each batch. When friends come over, we just open them and enjoy the drinks together. Sometimes, I’m already happy just after finishing my daily tasks, like making sure the roof isn’t leaking or sending a box to Bangkok or Singapore without any issues. It doesn’t have to be something big. Even though it’s just another step, I appreciate these little moments much more now.”
The honey wine made our conversation flow really well that night. On the way back to downtown Chiang Mai, I rolled down the windows and took a deep breath of 'Chiang Dao' air, letting the cool breeze pass through my hair and touch my skin. The wine we sipped, the conversation we exchanged, and the people I met at Day Drinkers Collective made me appreciate the beauty of the small things even more.
In life, maybe we don’t really need much more than being in the place we love, doing what we love, and helping others love what we love, too. That’s enough to give every day of life meaning. Cheers to life!
